Lock-gate.



No. 880,103." PATBNTED PEB. 25, 190s. y E. SGHILDHAUBR.

LOCK GATE.

APPLIOAUON FILED JUNBM. 1907.

` 3 SHEETS-SHE'ET 1.

1HE Nome/s Ps1-:Rs co., wAsHlNcrcN, n, cA

No. 880,103. PATENTED PEB. 25,1908.

E. SCHILDHAUER.

LOCK GATE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24. 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1H: Nokms Ferias c., WASHINGTON. n. c.

No. 880,108. PATBNTBD H1825, 1008.

E. SGHILDHAUER. 'LOCK GATE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24; 1907. I A

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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EDWARD SGHILDHAUER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

LOCK- GATE Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented 11610.25, 1908.

Application filed June 24, 1907. Serial No. 380.431.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD SCHILD- HAUER, citizen 0f the United States, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Lock-Gates, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accom anying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to lock gates, particularly to roller gates for use in large canal work, its object being to provide improved construction, protection and operation thereof.

Rolling gates have been used for quite a while but have various objections, one being that if no iotation is provided, there will be excessive weight on the trucks or rollers 5 another objection being that where flotation is provided, the gate has a tendency toward being unstable and may assume an inclined position.

The object of my invention, therefore, is to produce the desirable conditions of having the weight on the trucks reduced to a minimum and at the same time provide for maintaining the stability of the gate to prevent its overturn due to wind pressure or wave action. Gates of this kind have a tendency to become unstable while they are being opened and withdrawn from the seals, particularly if the water head is greater on one side of the gate than on the other, and the main object of my invention is, therefore, to provide some means for guiding the gate and maintaining its stability after it leaves its seal at one end, and the details of my invention will be best understood when described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation view of the gate and guiding mechanism; Fig. 2 is a top view, and Fig. 3 is an end view.

The gate itself 1 is of well known construction, being built up of suitable iron or steel beams and strengthening parts which so far as my invention is concerned, may be arranged in any manner. This gate structure is mounted on a plurality of truck frames 2, 2 built up of any suitable framework and each frame mounted on suitable wheels 3 which ride on rails 4 laid at the bottom of the gate it. At one side of the canal there is usual y a sealing pocket or recess 5 having a sealing beam 6 against which engages the sealing strip 7 at the end of the gate, this sealing strip being usually of wood or other material which when pressed against the sealing beam 6 will form a water tight joint. At the opposite side of the canal is usually built the pocket or recess 8 for receiving the gate when opened. The wall 9 of this recess has at its outer edge the seal beam 10 to be engaged by the seal strip 11 on the gate when the` gate is closed. Across the base of the channel there is also a sill 5 which may be of masonry and which holds the sealing beam 6 and along the horizontal edge of the gate is supported the seal stri 7 for engaging with the beam 6. The sea s and sill so far mentioned are at that side of the gate opposite to that side to which the pressure is greatest,so that the water pressure acting upon the gate will force the sealing surfaces into water tight engagement. of the gate and extending across the base of the channel there may also be a guard sill 8 for preventing displacement of the gate.

In order to relieve the trucks of some of the weight of the gate, an air chamber or compartment 12 is usually provided which must, of course, in order to have any effect, be normally below the water level. however, brings the metacenter above the center of gravity of the gate, and this is the cause of the unstability of the gate and its inclination to ti to an inclined position. The trucks and rai s, of course, prevent displacement of the lower part of the gate, but unless some provision is made for restraining the upper end of the gate, thegate body will assume an inclined position. In order t0 maintain the stability of the gate I add a tail piece or extension 13 to therear end of the gate built up of suitable framework to give the necessary strength which may be in the form of a bracket as shown. The top of this extension is a continuation of the top of the gate, and along the upper edges of the gate and extending across the entire length thereof and of the extension are the rails 14 and 15. Roller guide frames 16 and 17 are held in pockets 18 and 19 near the upper edge of the wall 20 of the recess 8. The frame 16 journals the roller 21, while the frame 17 journals the roller 22. The frame 16 is near the outer end of the wall 20, while the frame 17 is in a distance substantially equal to the length of theextension 13, so that when the gate is closed, the end of the rail 14 will be opposite the roller 22 and the rail near the inner end of the extension 13 will be op osite roller 21,. Pockets 23 and 24 in the wall At the high pressure side This,

. sure.

9 and directly opposite pockets 18 and 19 respectively contain the roller frames 25 and 26 journaling rollers 27 and 28 respectively, these rollers being associated with the guide rail 15. When the front of the gate, therefore, is now Withdrawn from the seal and tends to become unstable, it` is held in equilibrium by the engagement of the guide rails 14 and 15 with their respective guide rollers. The gate, however, has a slight lateral play on its trucks. This lateral play is provided by roller bearings 29 interposed between the gate body and the trucks, these roller bearings being 'inclined upwardly toward the seal side of the gate so that when the pressure is equal at both sides of the gate, the gate will roll laterally away from the` seal beams, but when the pressure becomes greater on the opposite side of the gate, it will roll the gate laterally and slightly upwardly on the roller bearings against the seals, and sealing engagement is maintained by thewater presln order that the gate be held rigidly against ti ping while it is being opened, the distance etween the opposite guide rollers must be equal to the distance between the guiding surfaces of the guide rails 14 and 15,

. but to provide for the primary lateral movement of the gate upon release of pressure therefrom, the rail 15 is cut away or notched at 30, and at its end 31, these notches appearing opposite therollers 27 and 28 respectively when the gate is closed. Therefore, the water pressure acts against the gate to move it laterally and to sealing osition, the rollers entering the notches wh` e the guide rail 14 is withdrawn a distance from the opposite rollers 21, 22. The notches or interruptions, however, are of very short length, and immediately as the gate starts to open, the rollers 27, 28 will be engaged by the guide surfaces of the rail 15, and as the gate is restored laterally before it isto be opened, the guide rollers 21, 22 will be in engagement with the guide rail 14. The restoring of the gate to its normal lateral position before it is opened is usually accomplished in a well known manner by means of valve-controlled by-passes, the level being first equalized sufficiently at opposite sides of the gate to allow the gate to move laterally to automatically unseal itself, and when the opening mechanism is brought into operation, the gate is drawn into the recess or pocket 8 and the channel opened. Any tendency toward inclining of the gate by the force of waves or wind is overcome by the engagement of the guiding tail piece 13 with the guide rollers, and stability of the gate is at all times maintained. The tail piece 13 lalso enables me to v greatly simplify and improve the operating mechanism of the gate.

The coping 31 which spans and covers the recess 8 supports a power house 32 in which is set up suitable mechanical or electrical struction.

driving machinery 33, and this powerhouse and machinery, of course, as far as my mvention is concerned, may be of any consprocket sheave 39, and under sheave 40, 'while chain 35 passes under sheave 41, over driving sheave 42 and under sheave 43. The driving sheaves 39 and 42 are mounted on the driving shaft 44 suitably geared to the driving source 33. With this arrangement, when the driving source is operated in one Both chains pass' The connection between the gate direction, part of the chains between the4 power house and the front of the gate is put in tension and the gate will be opened and drawn into the recess, and when the driving machinery is operated in the opposite direction part of the chains between the power house and the extension is put in tension and the gate will be closed. When the gate is closed, the notches or interruptions in the guide rail will be opposite the corresponding guide rollers, and as the level changes at opposite sides of the gate, it may be moved laterally automatically to seal itself. When the gate is to be opened, the water level is 'first sufliciently equalized by means of the by-passes, so that'the gate will automatically unseal, and when the operating mechanism starts, the guide rails will immediately be engaged by the guide rollers and stability maintained. lf wind or waves should tend to swing the gate or incline the top toward the seal side, the diagonallyopposite rollers 22 and 27 will receive the strain to prevent such displacement of the gate, and if the inclination toward swinging or tipping is in the opposite direction, the diagonally opposite rollers 21 and 28 will be effective in preventing such displacement. A

Myinvention thus makes it .possible to use very large roller gates with safety and efIivciency, and I consider it broadly new with Patent the nel for receiving part, and guiding walls between which said extension travels and against which said extension bears when the gate is opened wherebyswinging or tilting of the gate is prevented.

2. n a roller g body part, a pocket or recess into which the extension extends, guide rollers in the walls of the recess, and guidel rails on the extensions for engaging the rollers whereby equilibrium and stability of the gate body is maintained during opening of the gate.

3. In a roller gate for canal locks, the com` bination of the rectangular gate body, a tail piece extending from the gate body, a recess or pocket into which the tail piece extends, guide rollers mounted in the walls ofthe recess adjacent to the tail piece, guide rails carried by the tail piece, the distance between opposite rollers being equal to the distance between the guide surfaces of the guide rails, and notches in one of said guide rails opposite one set of guide rollers when the gate is in a closed position.

4. In a roller gate for canal locks, the combination of the rectangular gate body, and a guiding' tail piece extending from one end thereof.

5. In combination, a canal channel way, a lock gate having a body part for locking the channel way, a pocket at one side of the channel for receiving the front end of the gate body when the gate is closed, a pocket or recess at the opposite side of the channel for receiving the gate body when the gate is opened, and a guide extension projecting from the rear end of the gate into the pocket or recess, said guide extension having engagement with the sides of said` equilibrium and stability of the gate body is maintained after the front end body leaves its locking pocket.

6. In combination a canal channel way, a rectangular gate body for closing the channel way, a sealing pocket at one side of the chanthe channel for receivingthe gate when it is opened, said gate when closed being normally entirely outside oi' the receptacle or pocket, a guiding tail piece extending from the rear end of the gate body and into the pocket or receptacle, guide rollers supported from the equilibrium and stability of the gate after its ont end leaves its sealing pocket.

7. In combination, a canal channel way, a rectangular gate bodyfor closing the channel, a sealing pocket at one side of the channel for receiving the front end of the gate body when closed, a recess at the opposite side of the channel for receiving the gate body when opened, a guiding attachment or extension projecting from the rear end of the gate body at the top thereof and into the recess, guide rollers in the walls of the recess, guide rails on the extension for engaging with the rollers whereby equilibrium and stability ofthe gate will be maintained after the front end of the gate leaves its sealing pocket, a power house stationarily mounted over the recess and above the rear end of the guiding tail piece, and a chain associated with the powerhouse driving mechanism, said chain being connected at one end with the front of the gate and. at its rear end wit Athe end of the guiding extension.

8. The combination of a canal channel way, a gate body for locking the channel way, a sealing pocket at one side of the channel for receiving the front end of the gate when closed, a receptacle at the other side oi' the channel for receiving the gate when opened, roller trucks on which said gate body is mounted, means for allowing a slight lateral movement with respect to the trucks, guide rollers carried in the walls of the receptacle, a guiding extension projecting from the rear end of the gate body, guide rails on said extension for engaging with the rollers when the gate is opened whereby equilibrium and stability of the gate are maintained after the front end of the gate leaves its sealing pocket, and notches in one of said rails, said notches being adjacent to one set of rollers when the gate is closed to allow lateral movement of the gate when in its closed position.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 19th day of June A. D., 1907.

EDWARD SCHILDHAUER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES J. SCHMIDT, FRED W. KOEHN. 

